Food insecurity — all countries

Food insecurity — Italy

Food insecurity in Italy in 2023 — 1.7%. Ranked 3 in the world out of 134. Since 2021, the indicator has fallen by 0.5 pp.

2023 1.7% −0.3 pp vs 2022
World rank 3of 134
Period maximum 2.2%2021
Period minimum 1.7%2023

Trend over time

2021–2023 · % of population

Food insecurity — Italy, 2021–20231.61.822.22021202220232021: 2.2%2022: 2%2023: 1.7%
Change over the period: −0.5 pp Annual average: -0.25 pp

Comparison, 2023

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Italy

Italy 1.7%
World 28.4%
Southern Europe computed 5.8%
Food insecurity — Italy, by year Italy All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2023 1.7 −0.3 pp
2022 2 −0.2 pp
2021 2.2

About the indicator

The share of the population that experienced moderate or severe food insecurity, on the FIES scale of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The indicator is built not on calories but on a survey: people are asked whether over the past year they had to eat less, skip meals or go without food for a whole day because of a lack of money. That is why it catches what undernourishment by calories misses — episodic shortage in countries where the average diet is sufficient.

Important: The moderate and severe forms together, so the values are substantially higher than those of the undernourishment indicator. Based on a survey rather than on a food balance sheet — this is an independent measurement, not a refinement.

Source: FAOSTAT (FAO), license CC BY 4.0.